Greatness does not come along very often in our country, and in the world. The passing of former president George H. W. Bush is the death of greatness. He was born into privilege and could have had a very different life. But history called, and he answered.

Tuesday’s elections on Long Island brought large numbers of voters to the polls, with long lines and wait times. In eastern Long Island’s 1st Congressional District, turnout reached nearly 250,000 — approximately 78,000 more votes were cast than in the midterm election four years ago. READ

“If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.” — Abraham Lincoln, Jan. 27, 1838

This editorial is being written in the aftermath of a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh during a child-naming ceremony. Another mass shooting in America, another act of extreme hatred. In this case, a brand of murderous hatred with deep roots in other countries going back centuries. READ

If there is one area, one topic in our national discussion more acrimonious than the current argument over immigration, we can’t think of it right now. Television hosts go on about how America no longer looks the way it once did, comments praised by a former KKK leader. READ

As we celebrate Independence Day, it’s worth remembering that the men who signed a document 242 years ago in Philadelphia knew that if things went wrong, they’d be dead weights swinging from the ends of English ropes. READ

The accomplishments of student-athletes grace the sports pages of this newspaper every week. Players unite for a common cause, at times leading to championships that inspire the community and reinforce a sense of pride in Mattituck, Southold or Greenport. (more…)

Cynthia Nixon, the Working Families Party candidate for governor of New York, recently spoke out against the state’s 2 percent cap on annual spending. She also came out against the state’s 2 percent cap on increases in local property taxes. READ